1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to firearm cleaning devices, and more particularly to a complete tool kit for cleaning firearms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, and particularly in the military environment, cleaning of firearms was effected by the standard issue olive drab toothbrush which enabled the removal of dust, dirt, and grime from such weapons as the M-14 series rifles which were primarily made of wood. However, the subsequent development of more advanced weapons such as the M-16 series rifles which are primarily constructed of steel, rendered the use of the standard toothbrushes obsolete due to their inability to remove rust and corrosion from the metal surfaces. Accordingly, a more effective and complete firearm cleaning tool was required to not only remove dust, dirt, and grime, but also to remove rust and corrosion from the metal surfaces of the newer weapons.
Various firearm cleaning devices have been utilized in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,609 to Dubs sets forth a segmented brush for cleaning firearm bores and gun barrels which includes a central spindle rod with a plurality of freely rotatable circular brush units fixed on the spindle between end and transition pieces thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,465 to Hsu discloses a rifle gun barrel cleaning device including a cleaning rod having a plurality of detachable sections. Several types of cleaning tools are provided for selectable attachment to the cleaning rod which in turn is secured to a tubular casing. The tool can be dismantled and stored in the tubular casing which serves as a handle during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,240 to Bice illustrates another gun barrel cleaning device comprising a shaft having a head at one end thereof adapted for connection with a driving member for rotating the shaft in either a forward or reverse direction in a gun barrel. A plurality of cleaning implements are selectively and detachably mountable on the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,496 to Stephan provides a brush for cleaning a clip receptacle of a gun comprising an assembly having an operating handle at one end and a cleaning brush at an opposite end thereof, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning brush matches that of the clip receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,509 to Stephan discloses a combination gun cleaning brush comprising a handle, a barrel cleaning brush mounted on one end of the handle, and a magazine and magazine receiver cleaning brush mounted on the opposite end of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,998 to Selleck illustrates still another gun cleaning apparatus which includes a rod, a swivel handle mounted on one end of the rod, and a freely rotating barrel cleaning brush mounted on the opposite end of the rod.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved tool kit for cleaning firearms which addresses both the problems of ease of use, portability, and effectiveness in construction, and in this respect, the present invention fulfills this need.